Lindsey Graham dies at 71, leaving Trump and South Carolina reeling

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 12, 2026 23:04 IST

US Senator Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress and a leading voice on foreign policy, has died at the age of 71 after a "brief and sudden illness", his office said. A former Air Force lawyer, Graham served in Congress for three decades and was one of the most influential Republicans in Washington on defence, foreign affairs and the Senate's legislative agenda.

In a statement posted on social media early on Sunday, his office said his family "appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period". No further details were given about the circumstances of his death on Saturday night. Trump, who spoke to Graham frequently, said the senator was "like a member of the family. It's very tough." He said on NBC's Meet the Press that Graham had called him on Saturday night after returning from Ukraine and "sounded a little bit tired, but perfect". Trump ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening. Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement. Graham had been seeking a fifth term in November.

Graham had built a reputation as a foreign policy hawk and had travelled widely to argue for a more aggressive US role overseas. On Friday, he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move ahead with a package of sanctions on Russia. He had just returned from Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's invasion in February 2022, and added: "Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer." Graham was also one of the strongest supporters of Trump's military action against Iran and continued to back the president even as some Republicans questioned a June ceasefire agreement. "I'd rather try diplomacy than take it off the table," Graham said of Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham believed the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable, and said: "Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend."

Elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives, Graham long argued for strong national defence and US military intervention abroad, positions that later put him at odds with the more isolationist wing of his party. His relationship with Trump was close but complicated. During the 2016 Republican presidential race, Graham briefly ran against Trump and called him "unfit for office". After Trump made disparaging remarks about Senator John McCain, Graham's closest friend in the Senate, Graham used a profanity to describe him. At a South Carolina campaign rally, Trump read out Graham's personal mobile phone number and repeatedly mocked him. But after Trump entered the White House, Graham became one of his closest allies, speaking to him often and appearing regularly with him on the golf course.

In a 2018 interview with The Associated Press, Graham explained his shift by saying McCain had taught him that after elections the country had to move forward and that meant "you have an obligation" to help the president. "And I've tried to be helpful where I could because I think he needs all the help he can get," Graham said of Trump. "You can be a better critic when people understand that you're trying to help them be successful." Graham went on to become a prominent defender of Trump during both of his first-term impeachments, a sharp contrast with Graham's earlier role as a House prosecutor during President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998. After the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, Graham appeared to distance himself from Trump, saying on the Senate floor: "Count me out. Enough is enough." He soon returned to Trump's side, and the two remained close during Trump's second term.

Graham also held important positions in the Senate. As chairman of the Budget Committee, he helped oversee the procedure Republicans used to pass major measures, including last year's tax law, without the threat of a Democratic filibuster. He had earlier led the Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020. He was in line to regain that post if Republicans kept their majority after the midterm elections and had said he would confirm "as many conservative judges as possible."

He was also a key figure in the Senate's 2013 attempt to pass a large immigration overhaul as part of a bipartisan group. The bill passed the Senate with 68 votes but was never taken up by the House and did not become law. Graham's support for a path to citizenship for people in the US without legal status put him at odds with some Republicans. Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat who worked with him on the issue, said Graham was "part of every important policy issue and an indispensable player" in bipartisan negotiations.

Even while remaining fiercely loyal to Trump, Graham often worked across party lines. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, said that "personal relationships often mattered more to him than the political disagreements of the day". Jaime Harrison, the Democrat who challenged Graham in 2020, said that even in their "fiercest political battles" the two men "could still share a conversation, a laugh, and a mutual respect for South Carolina". Wyoming Senator John Barrasso said Graham would be missed for his "quick wit and infectious laughter", while McMaster called him "irreplaceable". Former President George W. Bush said Graham "understood how the world works" and was "a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it."

Graham often spoke about his modest upbringing, including growing up behind a bar in South Carolina and helping to raise his sister after their parents died when they were young. He was not married and did not have children. His closest living relative is his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, whom he helped raise.

His death now sets up a swift political process in South Carolina. Graham won 57 per cent of the Republican vote in the state's June primary and was due to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a paediatrician, along with several minor party and independent candidates in November. After McMaster appoints a temporary replacement, state law requires a special primary within weeks for voters to choose a new nominee. The winner of the general election will take office in January for a full six-year term. Republican names being discussed as possible temporary replacements include Representatives Nancy Mace and Russell Fry. Graham's office did not explain the circumstances of his death, which comes at a time of wider concern over how openly the health of some members of Congress is disclosed. Representative Tom Kean Jr of New Jersey was absent for months before returning and saying he had been diagnosed with depression, while Senator Mitch McConnell was hospitalised weeks ago for undisclosed health reasons.

Graham's death ends the career of a senator who combined influence over foreign policy, senior roles in the Senate and close access to Trump. He remained a central Republican figure until the end, while still campaigning for another term and shaping debate on issues from Russia and Ukraine to judges, tax policy and immigration.

With PTI Inputs

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